Trader Joe's blog and cooking.
I remember going to the Hall of Science as a kid. And most childhood museum trips, the highlight was hitting the gift shop for some reason. The Hall of Science is no exception. They sold something that had all of our imagination going: Astronaut Food. Which reminds me a whole lot of Trader Joe’s Freeze Dried Strawberries.
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The pros: Trader Joe’s Peach Salsa might not be as spicy or smoky as the label might suggest, but still makes for a good and refreshing salsa.
The cons: For purists, this might hit you as being a touch sweeter than some palates might like.
The verdict: …
The pros: Trader Joe’s Gone Berry Crazy are the perfect addition to the freezer aisle. If you loved Gone Bananas! then this will probably be a hit for you.
The cons: Milk chocolate fans need not apply here. This product does have dairy in it so it is not vegan. The box is small on this as well. I’m deeply hoping this isn’t a seasonal flavor.
The verdict: …
So, Trader Joe’s is many things, but basic is not one of them. One or perhaps two blueberry varieties are common. Usually an organic and an non-organic variety is pretty standard for most grocery stores. Trader Joe’s frozen blueberries come in four different varieties at four different price points.
So unlike most reviews where I look at a single product , I’ll go through what to expect from this line of frozen blueberries.
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The pros: Trader Joe’s 100% Mango Juice from Carabao Mangoes is sold in a four pack of cans. It’s good mango juice but…
The cons: Not terribly different from Trader Joe’s Mango Nectar. Since this can only be grown in the Philippines then this too is likely seasonal.
The verdict: …
The pros: Trader Joe’s Organic Tropical Fruit Blend is a tasty blend, especially if you aren’t terrible creative with your morning smoothie.
The cons: The bag should be resealable. The picture on the bag isn’t the most accurate representation of the product. The bananas were not nearly as pretty as they were on the bag and when did strawberries become a “tropical” fruit?
The verdict: …
The pros: Trader Joe’s Pitted Amarena Cherries are new and perfect for the cherry lover in your life. This jar is a nice size. Would make for a good stocking stuffer.
The cons: This is a seasonal item and there is no telling if this will be back next year.
The verdict: …
The pros: Trader Joe’s Chokanan Mango is a good addition to the selection of dried mangoes.
The cons: Nothing honestly comes to mind.
The verdict: …
The pros: Trader Joe’s This Mango Walks Into a Bar has good tropical flavor, reminds me of a Nutrigrain bar, nutritionally it’s not a total loss or just empty calories.
The cons: Easy to eat a few of Trader Joe’s This Mango Walks Into a Bar in a sitting.
The verdict: …
The pros: Trader Joe’s Super Sweet Dried Carabao Mango is a healthy option with a good sweet flavor. Resealable bag.
The cons: When I opened my bag all the mango strips were sticking together making it hard to grab a piece.
The verdict: …
The pros: Trader Joe’s Pear Halves are well peeled, sweet, tender pears. They did a good job of making sure there were no extraneous inedible parts of the pear remaining.
The cons: Price. For what you are getting here, it is pricey compared to the grocery store. You can get a similar sized jar of similar quality. They can be found on sale for 2/$5. If Trader Joe’s is the only place you are going to shop, then there is no issue. If price point is your concern, it might be worth a trip to another store.
The verdict: …
The pros: Trader Joe’s Dried Baby Bananas has the texture of a dried apricot, the taste of a very sweet banana.
The cons: Visually unappealing. This is truly ugly looking food (see pictures for clarification). Might be too much concentrated banana flavor for some.
The verdict: …
The pros: Trader Joe’s Sparking Cranberry Flavored Juice Blend comes in a pretty bottle. Pretty color, good taste but be aware it’s soft on the cranberry and grape is much more the dominant flavor. It’s 100% juice.
The cons: Tastes more like grape than cranberry.
The verdict: …
The pros: Trader Joe’s Frozen Raspberries are reasonably priced, tasty and ready to be transformed into something tasty.
The cons: Any brand of frozen raspberries is not texturally the same as fresh. Don’t expect to just pop them in your mouth. I wish these were individually quick frozen as I had a massive block of raspberries frozen together.
The verdict: …
So, you’ve recently acquired Trader Joe’s Blackberry Spritzer. Perhaps you too found it a bit plain. Sweeter than seltzer but not sweet enough to be soda. Why not jazz it up a bit? …
If you enjoy citrus in the morning, but find yourself getting tired of the usual OJ routine, it might be time to mix things up. Trader Joe’s sells Tangerine Juice in the refrigerated section with the other juices. Trader Joe’s Tangerine juice will give your palate a similar flavor to orange juice but with a hint of sweetness.
The pros: Freshly squeezed Tangerine Juice.
The cons: Expensive ($3.29 for 1 quart) for what you are getting here as compared to other items in the juice section.
The verdict: …
The pros: Trader Joe’s Blueberry Waffles are $1.99 and found in the freezer section. The blueberries are very subtle in flavor. They do crisp up when you follow the directions.
The cons: I was hoping for visual pieces of blueberry. There were none. They were a touch different from regular waffles in terms of color. No microwave allowed on Trader Joe’s Blueberry Waffles. This item appears to be seasonal.
The verdict: …
The weather outside is changing here in New York and in October things don’t get better. This time of year you can easily find yourself wearing a winter coat in the morning and wishing for shorts by the afternoon. With the chill in the air I got out a bottle of wine that I had purchased over the summer at Fruit Yard Winery’s Funvalia Spiced Wine. You’re not going to find this wine in most local places. If you don’t live in the Finger Lakes area of New York, you’ll have to either travel there (which we did) or place an order and have it shipped….
Is there anything that says summer more than peaches? Wonderful on their own, they can be even better if you follow the recipe below.
This recipe can be eaten alone or with something like ice cream. Or as a topping to waffles. Could this be enjoyed over pancakes? Yes indeed….
